A popular restaurant on Somerset Street West can now add the taste of victory to its menu.
Union Local 613 has finally prevailed after a long-running effort to win the city’s approval to build an outdoor patio.
The city’s committee of adjustment, a quasi-judicial panel that adjudicates property-related issues, made the final decision approving the patio on Jan. 13. This decision came two years after an initial rejection of the Centretown restaurant’s original application.
The city had originally struck down the application on the grounds that the location in which the patio would be constructed was going to block a space where delivery trucks parked.
“They felt that the laneway acted as an integral part of the functioning of our business,” says Ivan Gedz, co-owner of the restaurant.
However, by the time the second application was made for a patio, the city had rezoned Somerset to “traditional mainstreet” zoning, which is more supportive of patios and commercial activities on the ground floor of buildings, according to Somerset City Coun. Catherine McKenney.
The restaurant, known for its “old timey” style and hipster flare, also applied for and was granted approval to build a two-metre acoustic barrier–– a wall to dampen patio sounds in the surrounding neighbourhood–– that will be positioned at the rear of the building.
“What you try and do in this process is think about any and all possible reasons why people might complain and avoid it because those people are your neighbours and also potential customers,” Gedz says. “And like any society or community, you want to get along with your neighbours.”
Gedz saw the importance of his business having a patio to sustain the number of customers on summer evenings.
“We’re dead in the summertime you get a million phone calls all summer long asking if you have a patio and (customers) don’t come,” Gedz says.
“They don’t care if you have the city’s best fried chicken, they want to sit outside in the summer.”
Jie Li, owner of the neighbouring restaurant, Northman Chinese Restaurant, says he does not foresee any noise problems by having the patio next to him.
(Since) we don’t use (our) patio in the summertime, I don’t see any problems that bother me.” Li says.
Though Li does not currently have his patio opened, he does not rule out the idea of reopening it to better meet the demands of his customers.
“I have been thinking about maybe applying for the liquor license and cleaning up outside, maybe putting some flowers outside and learning from my neighbours,” Li said. “(But) if we don’t have the liquor license and we cannot serve beer, then it’s not worth opening the patio.”
Gedz has credited McKenney with supporting his patio project from the beginning.
McKenney says the restaurant is one of the only eateries on the street without a patio and it makes sense that this restaurant should also have one.
“Patios can make a great addition to the street. They animate the street and put eyes on (it),” McKenney says. “…In my view, this patio will make a positive contribution to this unique street in the city.”